Feathers

Woodson, Jacqueline. Feathers. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2007. ISBN 978-0-399-23989-2

Plot Summary:

Frannie, an African American young lady, is puzzled when a white boy enters her sixth grade classroom. “Jesus Boy,” as everyone calls him, is the only white boy in his new school. Through the winter, Frannie learns about hope, love, faith, and the new student. As Frannie slowly becomes friends with “Jesus Boy,” she learns that things are not always what they seem, and that hope can be found in everyone. 

Critical Analysis:

Jacqueline Woodson’s Feathers is genuine, honest, and thought provoking. Taking place in the 1970’s, the author touches on many sensitive subjects, including racism, disabilities, faith, and death. The main characters, who are authentic to their culture, all reside in what seems to be a lower-class, African American neighborhood. Foiled characters, Frannie and Maribel, depict the socio-economic range during the 1970’s. While Maribel’s family runs the local grocery story, Frannie’s family is more modest. Feathers contains many accurate cultural markers that relate to African-American culture. The characters use “jive talk,” and the language is consistent with the culture and the time period. Describes hairstyles, like corn-rows and braids, although not illustrated, are definite cultural markers in this work of fiction. While this book is short, a mere 118 pages, the plot deals with sensitive subjects in a respectful and thoughtful way. This book encourages the reader to celebrate diversity, find hope in everything, and to think outside of stereotypes.

Awards and Reviews:

John Newbery Medal, 2008 Honor Book United States

Book Sense Children's Picks, Spring 2007 ; American Booksellers Association; United States

Capitol Choices, 2008 ; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States

Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, Supplement, 2007 ; H.W. Wilson; United States

Children's Choices, 2008 ; International Reading Association; United States

Choices, 2008 ; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States

Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to Ninth Edition, 2007 ; H.W. Wilson Company; United States

Notable Children's Books in the English Language Arts, 2008 ; NCTE Children's Literature Assembly; United States

Notable Children's Books, 2008 ; ALSC American Library Association; United States

Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2008 ; National Council for Social Studies; United States

Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, January 8, 2007 ; Cahners; United States

School Library Journal Book Review Stars, April 2007 ; Cahners; United States

Booklist:

There's a lot going on in this small, fast-moving novel that introduces big issues--faith, class, color, prejudice, family, disability, and friendship. Woodson tells her story with immediacy and realism through the stirring first-person narrative of a young girl, Frannie, growing up in 1971. The new boy in school is the only white kid in Frannie's sixth-grade class, and she wonders why he doesn't go to the white school across the highway. He's pleased when some of the kids call him Jesus Boy, and Frannie's devout friend, Samantha, thinks he may be the savior. A few of the boys harass him, especially bullying Trevor--who looks white himself. When the new kid turns out to be far from perfect, Frannie wonders: Was he God's child? Aren't we all? In her loving home, filled with light, hope, and laughter, a deaf older brother has always enriched her life, but Frannie realizes that she still has bridges of prejudice to cross. A good choice for discussion.

Kirkus:

One wintry day, a white boy with long curly hair enters Frannie’s sixth-grade classroom. “Jesus Boy” is told he’s on the “wrong side of the highway,” and becomes a catalyst for a shift among friends and enemies in the classroom, all observed from Frannie’s point of view. She’s also got her eye on things at home: Suddenly her mother is strangely weary, while her older brother, who is deaf, seems impossibly quick to recover when girls attracted to his good looks are turned off by his silence. Frannie’s questions about faith, friendship and bridging differences are expressed in a vibrant and accessible narrative set in the early 70s. The theme of “hope” recurs in the description of the Black Power movement, and in Frannie’s musings on the Emily Dickinson poem, “Hope is the thing with feathers.” Developing this metaphor, Woodson captures perfectly the questions and yearnings of a girl perched on the edge of adolescence, a girl who readers will take into their hearts and be glad to call their friend.

Connections:

This book begs to be read aloud and discussed. Middle graders can be encouraged to discuss individuality, hope, bullying, cultural differences, and much more.

Check out the following titles by Jacqueline Woodson about African American culture:

Woodson, Jacqueline. Hush. New York: Putnam's, 2002.

Woodson, Jacqueline. Locomotion. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2003.

Woodson, Jacqueline, and Earl B. Lewis. Coming on home soon. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004.

Woodson, Jacqueline. After Tupac & D Foster. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2008.

Woodson, Jacqueline. Peace, Locomotion. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2009.